‘To have international visiting orchestras coming here to do this kind of performance is an unmissable opportunity,’ says Matt Lane, Head of Thurrock and Thames Gateway. ‘To have local people performing alongside world-class musicians really fits with our ethos – to create opportunities for people to engage in high-quality cultural experiences.’

Last November, the Brighton Festival Chorus, Orchestre de Picardie and L’Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne performed the Verdi Requiem in Amiens, Compiègne and Rennes to a combined audience of over 3,600.

Jette Parker Young Artists Anush Hovhannisyan was one of four current and former members of the programme who took part in the performance.

‘I was sure that the project would be a big success but I had no idea how big,’ said Anush. ‘There were many people congratulating us after the concert, but many more came up to me the next day. It was something the audience had been looking forward to for a long time and you could see that they gained something very special from the concert.’

Both the performance in November and the forthcoming performance this July take place as part of the Royal Opera House’s involvement in ACT – A Common Territory, a European partnership between 13 different organizations. ACT supports creative and collaborative projects with local and European partners.

Previous events include Donkey Skin, a collaboration between young people from Thurrock and Southend and French dance company Eco; and Jazz Meets The Classics – Beethoven to Brubeck, a concert with young musicians from Thurrock, community choir RM19, jazz master Chris Brubeck and L’Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne.

Verdi's Requiem will be performed on 3 and 4 July 2014. Tickets are available from the ROH Box Office on +44 (0) 20 7304 4000 with early bird offers available.

From 12 to 4pm Dominic Peckham, Artistic Director of the Royal Opera House RM19 Youth Singing Group will lead three choral workshops in the Clore Studio that will introduce both community singing and the chorus itself. The workshops will culminate in a special event in Covent Garden Piazza.

The Festival of Voices is just one of a number of free events taking place at the Royal Opera House as part of Stephen Fry's Verdi and Wagner-themed Deloitte Ignite which will also feature live radio broadcasts, debates and pop-up performances inspired by the composers and their work.

Deloitte Ignite runs from 6 - 29 September. Follow us on Twitter for regular updates about this year’s Deloitte Ignite, or search for #DeloitteIgnite.

]]>http://www.roh.org.uk/news/learn-va-pensiero-and-be-part-of-the-2013-deloitte-ignite-festival/feed2Choral music in the spotlight at the Royal Opera Househttp://www.roh.org.uk/news/choral-music-in-the-spotlight-at-the-royal-opera-house
http://www.roh.org.uk/news/choral-music-in-the-spotlight-at-the-royal-opera-house#commentsTue, 20 Aug 2013 14:36:04 +0000Lottie Butlerhttp://www.roh.org.uk/?p=23150

Earlier this summer a three-day celebration of choral music in all its forms took place in Thurrock. The second FUSED Thurrock Music Festival raised the roof in the unusual (and impressive) setting of the Tilbury Cruise Terminal and featured two full days of workshops as well as performances.

April Smith, a member of the Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus attended a workshop about conducting: 'I came away with a much greater respect and understanding of how difficult a task conducting is, as well as material to work on myself.’

Other workshops included vocal techniques for male and female voices; introductions to opera and gospel singing; vocal leadership; and an inspirational beat-boxing demonstration from MC Zani.

Although the festival has passed for this year there are many ways to get involved in choral singing in Thurrock. The Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus, who were one of the groups taking part in FUSED, meet weekly at High House Production Park and are open to new members. They will perform at the Deloitte Ignite Festival of Voices at the Royal Opera House on 22 September, as will the RM19 Youth Singing Group, also based in Thurrock, and led by Dominic Peckham. Throughout the day there will be free workshops and opportunities to sing, both for beginners and experienced singers. Booking is now open for free tickets.

Attendees will be able to take part in workshops including different sessions introducing choral singing, beat-boxing and singing in a gospel choir. Some workshops are available for both children and adults.

All of the workshops cost £3 and the concerts are £8 (concessions £6). Refreshments will be available to purchase throughout the day. On Saturday and Sunday evening, during the concerts, food stalls and a bar will be available.

If you’ve ever wanted to learn a different way to use your voice – or if you’re wondering whether or not joining a choir is right for you – come along to find out more. FUSED will be held in London Cruise Terminal, Ferry Road, Tilbury, RM18 7NG.

From choreography and composition to set construction and costume design, we work with children and adults of all ages to develop their creativity. We offer lots of different projects to enable people to take part in opera, ballet, music and dance, and this short film shows some of the things we've been up to over the last year.

If you'd like to find out how to get involved in any of the projects featured, including Fanfare, Chance to Dance, Write an Opera or the Thurrock Community Chorus, then visit the Learning area on our website.